Thoughts from the interface of science, religion, law and culture

After spending several years touring the country as a stand up comedian, Ed Brayton tired of explaining his jokes to small groups of dazed illiterates and turned to writing as the most common outlet for the voices in his head. He has appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show and the Thom Hartmann Show, and is almost certain that he is the only person ever to make fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN.

EVENTS

Bachmann: 9/11 Was God’s Judgment

At a prayer rally at the capitol, Michele Bachmann delivered a breathtakingly idiotic diatribe about how important it was to “humble ourselves” before an “almighty God” — because 9/11 (and Benghazi) was God’s “judgment” on the country. This video makes my skin crawl:

First of all, the idea that this is humbling themselves is nonsense. They’re calling maximum attention to themselves with ostentatious displays of piety, something that Jesus explicitly condemns. And if Benghazi was God’s judgment, why is she trying so hard to blame it on Hillary Clinton? What did she want Hillary to do, thwart God’s judgment by preventing it?

In the Bible, when God has a problem with a nation he would send either angels, as with Sodom, or he’d have his chosen people to do his dirty work, as with Amalek. Is Bachmann saying that 9/11 and Benghazi are proof that God is on the Muslim’s side?

Ah yes, I keep forgetting that Bachmann’s God likes to teach us all lessons by mass casualties and high body counts. That 2-year-old girl who was on the 2nd plane was vaporized along with her parents, for example. What is the lesson, Michelle? What are we to learn from that? God showed us all his might – apparently – by slaughtering 3000 people without any really clear, stated purpose.

If 9/11 was your god’s judgment, then your god is a genocidal, child-murdering a$$hole!

And if Benghazi was God’s judgment, why is she trying so hard to blame it on Hillary Clinton? What did she want Hillary to do, thwart God’s judgment by preventing it?

It was absolutely necessary for God’s plan of salvation that Jesus be turned over to the Romans and sentenced to death, and Judas was evil and damned to hell for his part in helping to carry out that plan, and the Jews have blood guilt for all time for their part.

Christians have been engaging in bloody doublethink for thousands of years; Bachmann is just carrying on that ancient tradition.

Also, is Bachmann going to admit that she and her party were wrong to attack Jeremiah Wright for saying what they’re now saying?

Now saying? I was continually barraged with preachers in the 1960s and 70s fantasizing about God punishing the U.S. for a whole host of reasons. Young men growing their hair long as justification for the eternal damnation of all Americans was my first hint these guys were idiots and their congregants passive sheep; as validated by their . The only difference between these preachers and Mr. Wright was those white preachers didn’t say, “damn” immediately after, “God”.